KDF-55 filter media consists of finely granulated copper and zinc alloys. The combination of these two alloys in the media allows the chemical reaction of redox (Oxidation-Reduction) to take place when water passes through the media. Redox involves the transfer of electrons between two molecules, changing these molecules into entirely different elements. In the KDF process, electrons are taken from harmful contaminants like chlorine and microorganisms. This loss of electrons changes contaminants into far less harmful, or even harmless, elements. For example, chlorine-- when it loses an electron in a redox reaction--is changed into the harmless, water-soluble chemical chloride. While there are several different KDF media, KDF-55 is designed to specifically remove or reduce chlorine, heavy metals, and microbiological contaminants. When a KDF-55 filter media is used during the first stage of filtration (as is the case with our mixed media filter) the life of the entire filter unit is greatly lengthened. Translation of water contaminants into harmless elements in the first stage reduces the amount of scaling and bacterial growth that will take place on the more expensive carbon filter media of subsequent stages. Also, the preliminary reduction of contaminants allows the absorptive process of the carbon media to focus on more harmful and elusive contaminants.

KDF process media are completely safe. KDF media meet EPA and Food and Drug Administration standards for levels of zinc and copper in potable water, so the process is not toxic and does not cause any adverse side effects. KDF media are certified by the NSF Standard 61 and Standard 42 â€” Your assurance that they meet public safety standards.

KDF media are environmentally sound and 100 percent recyclable, but refer to the instructions enclosed with your filter or system for proper disposal, as different manufacturers combine KDF process media with other filtration technologies.

Carbon is a substance that has a long history of being used to absorb impurities and is perhaps the most powerful absorbent known to man. One pound of carbon contains a surface area of roughly 125 acres and can absorb literally thousands of different chemicals. Activated carbon which has a slight electro-positive charge added to it, making it even more attractive to chemicals and impurities. As the water passes over the positively charged carbon surface, the negative ions of the of the contaminants are drawn to the surface of the carbon granules. Activated carbon filters used for home water treatment typically contain either granular activated carbon or powdered block carbon. Although both are effective, carbon block filters generally have a higher contaminant removal ratio. The two most important factors affecting the efficiency of activated carbon filtration are the amount of carbon in the unit and the amount of time the contaminant spends in contact with it. the more carbon the better. Similarly, the lower the flow rate of the water, the more time contaminants will be in contact with the carbon, and the more absorption that will take place. Particle size also affects removal rates. The most common carbon types used in water filtration are bituminous, wood, and coconut shell carbons. While coconut shell carbon typically costs 20% more than the others, it is generally regarded as the most effective of the three. All of our activated carbon filters use coconut shell carbon. There are two principal mechanisms by which activated carbon removes contaminants from water; absorption, and catalytic reduction, a process involving the attraction of negatively-charged contaminants ions to the positively-charged activated carbon. Organic compounds are removed by absorption and residual disinfectants such as chlorine and chloramines are removed by catalytic reduction. Activated carbon filtration is very common in a number of home water treatment systems. It can be used as a stand alone filter to reduce or eliminate bad tastes and odors, chlorine, and many organic contaminants in municipal (pre-treated or chlorinated) water supplies to produce a significantly improved drinking water. It is also very commonly used as a pre-treatment as part of a reverse osmosis system to reduce many organic contaminants, chlorine, and other items that could foul the reverse osmosis membrane. 0.5 block filters are commonly used to remove cysts such as giardia and crytosporidium. Activated carbon filters remove/reduce many volatile organic chemicals (VOC), pesticides and herbicides, as well as chlorine, benzene, trihalomethane (THM) compounds, radon, solvents and hundreds of other man-made chemicals found in tap water.

FILTRATION SYSTEM KITS

Manual BACKWASH FILTER VALVES

APPLICATIONS:

Whole House Filtration

This unit includes the following:

10" x 35" Mineral Tank (Color Varies)

MANUAL BACKWASH VALVE

1 CU FT GAC CARBON

1 KDF55 MEDIA GUARD

3 Settings Rinse/Backwash/Filter

1" In & 1' Out & 1" Drain

Manual Controls are simple, reliable and inexpensive. Perfect for medias that require infrequent back washing or locations that lack electrical power.

Manual ValveThis is the Manual valve. It has very few moving parts, and easy to use. When you need to backwash a filter, you put it into the backwash cycle for 10 minutes, followed by a rinse for 3 minutes, and then back into the service mode. That is all there is to it! Once a week schedule for backwashing is generally sufficient. For a more economical product, and ease of use, we recommend you get this rather than opting for a unit that does not backwash, read the section on the benefits of backwashing

Benefits and Importance of a Backwash Cycle.

As the filter operates in service mode, it collects particles in the filter bed. Also, since water's nature is to follow the path of least resistance, after a time it begins to cut channels through the medium. As channels or holes in the media bed form, water begins to flow around rather than through the medium. This process is called "channeling" and it reduces the effectiveness of the filter considerably.

The backwash is accomplished by sending the water down the riser tube from which it enters the filter tank at the bottom. The force of the water is such that it actually lifts the media bed, swirling and tossing the granular medium. The water leaves the filter tank through the control valve, which routes it through the filter's drain line. Particles that were in the bed are washed to drain.

The backwash is an intense rinsing and tossing of the medium that lasts for several minutes. In a standard residential filter, a typical backwash lasts about ten minutes.

After the backwash, initiate a "rinse" of the bed during which water flows downward through the medium, up through the distribution tube and out the drain. The purpose of this rinse is to rinse and settle the bed and prepare it for return to service flow. A regular backwash schedule maintains the efficiency of the filter, as well as providing cleaner water.